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Friday, November 21, 2014

717. Slow Cooker Iraqi White Bean Stew

I'm adapting my slow cooker to make Iraqi stews.
This was my first experiment and the results were highly successful.
You simply put everything in the slow cooker pot, set the heat, and come back six to eight hours later to a fully cooked stew! The meat is so incredibly tender and literally falling off the bone, it's like it has been cooked in a pressure cooker! If you want the stovetop recipe, you can find it here.
There is no contest: properly cooked dried beans trump their canned counterparts any day.Were it not for the sheer convenience of immediate edibility of canned beans, I would never even consider using them. Soaking the beans over night is all the prep that's needed here, so do not opt for mushy canned beans.

Soak the dried beans in excess water overnight (at least 12 hours).
Note that for added flavor, you can sear the shoulder of lamb in a pan before adding to the slow cooker. If you are not so inclined, you can just put is raw as is in the slow cooker.
Drain the beans from their soaking water, and stir in all the ingredients in the slow cooker to combine, then add the (raw or seared) shoulder of lamb.
Set the cooker for 5 to 6 hours on high, or 8 hours on low plus an hour on high.
Serve accompanied by for fluffy rice.